1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a tissue marking apparatus and method and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for marking suspect tissue for repeated monitoring over time.
2. Background of Related Art
Interstitial medical diagnosis and treatment require means for effectively marking a tissue mass of interest, such as a tumor, lesion, cyst or similar tissue disorder. Marking has traditionally been accomplished using an elongate wire having a barbed or similar engaging end. The elongate wire is configured to be inserted such that the barbed end penetrates the subject tissue mass with the opposite end of the elongate wire extending out from the body so as to be visible upon inspection. In this manner, the elongate wire provides a path for subsequent incision and allows for easy removal of the wire once diagnosis and treatment are complete.
Significant developments in the localization and demarcation of tissue, bearing radioactive isotope tags for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes has occurred over the years. For example, monoclonal antibodies or other tumor or lymph node localizing agents, tagged with a radioactive isotope (e.g., Technetium 99 m, Indium 111, Iodine 123 and Iodine 125), have been introduced into the body of a patient in order to diagnose and/or treat certain diseases, e.g., cancer. Such radiopharmaceuticals tend to localize in particular tissue, such as the cancerous tissue, so that the gamma radiation emitted by the isotope agent can be detected by a radiation detector, e.g., a probe. In particular, the radiation detector or probe is disposed or positioned adjacent a portion of the patient's body where the cancerous tissue is suspected to be in order to detect if any radiation is emanating from that site. If it is, this indicates that cancerous tissue is likely to be found at this site.
Additionally, invasive surgical techniques have been employed to implant markers directly into the patient's body. For example, during a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), which constitutes open heart surgery, it is common practice to surgically apply one or more metallic rings to the aorta at the site of the graft. This enables a practitioner to later return to the site of the graft by identifying the rings, for evaluative purposes. It is also common practice to mark a surgical site with staples, vascular clips and the like for the purpose of future evaluation of the site.
Accordingly, the need exists for apparatus and methods of non-surgically implanting potentially permanent markers at the situs of the tumor or other tissue mass of interest, for the purpose of defining the margins of the tumor before it is removed and/or to establish its location after it has been removed. Preferably, the markers should be easy to deploy and easy to detect using state of the art imaging techniques.